


A Million Ways To Die as a Demigod

by hannahsapiens



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, M/M, Multi, Pain
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-05 22:07:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6725392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannahsapiens/pseuds/hannahsapiens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dying is pretty much a requirement for being a demigod. "You're a demigod? Congrats on your death."</p><p>There are a million ways to die as a demigod. And today. Today we die.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I despise my guts and the Fates.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first PJO/HOO fanfic. This is told on Percy's pov btw :)

There are a million ways to die as a demigod.

It's like a job description. A requirement of sorts. "Oh you're a demigod? Congrats on your death." There's no escaping it. It's inevitable. We all have to die sometime.

\----

"Not fair Piper, I saw that first." Valdez's loud voice ringing through the arena.

"Hilarious, Leo, but I, emphasis on the I, saw and got this first so nice try." Piper says.

It was the most pointless fight of the century. They were fighting over armor, for God's sake.

So I, being one of the camp counselors, and a "control dick" as Jason once said, strolled over and decided to stop them before it turns into a war of the most epic proportions.

Leo's ears were smoking by the time I got to them.

"Can it guys." I say with a stern glare.

Piper sighs. "But Percy--."

"No buts-" Leo snickers. "-Piper. Seriously, it's armor."

Piper begrudgingly lets it go.

"So what you up to? Seaweed Brain?" Piper asks.

I gave her a mock stern glare. "Don't call me that."

"Ha."

".."

"But seriously Percy, how are you?"

"Oh i'm better, I guess, now that there's no prophecy hanging over my head."

"That's good to hear."

"How's Leo?"

Leo and Piper moved in together in a tiny apartment in New Rome. It was decent in size. Clean. Has three bedrooms and everything. The view is also great. It gives you a great picturesque view of the sunset by the Gardens of Bacchus. And the rent is also cheap. 

Piper stalls for a few minutes before answering. "He's getting better I guess. Barely any nightmares. He turned our third bedroom into a workshop and he keeps himself busy all the time. Probably to remove, well, you know."

A heavy silence falls between us. Leo's faux death was still a touchy subject for us. 

"Well Pipes, I gotta go check on Annie now."

"Oh you are whip Jackson. And don't call me pipes." Piper lashes with a laugh.

"Whatever McLean. Hey, take care okay? IM me when you arrive."

"Yes Dad."

"I'm not into that kink."

Piper grabs the nearest helmet and throws it on my direction. I leave laughing. And with a bad feeling settling on my gut.

\----

You see, the funny thing about death is that, it's really nobody's fault. Take this story for example:

This man was on his way home, and on his way home, he stepped on a piece of gum. When he stopped and felt that piece of gum, he saw that his shoelaces were untied. So he stopped near the stoplight and tied them.

A young lady who just got fired from  
her third job was walking with weary eyes and a bowed head. She accidentally stumbles upon the man who was tying his shoelaces. She trips and accidentally goes in the middle of the road.

A drunk driver who just broke up with his ten year girlfriend was speeding on the road. His phone rings and he picks it up, hoping that the caller was his ex-girlfriend. Now, without looking at the road, he doesn't see the stoplight turn red. And he doesn't see the woman on the middle of the road. And he doesn't see the man who stopped tying his shoelaces. And he doesn't see anything.

Now take this. If the guy never stepped on his gum and doesn't stop to tie his shoelaces then the girl wouldn't have tripped and would have passed by carefully and safely. If the girl never fell asleep on the job then she would've been able to keep her job as a lowly saleslady. If only the drunk driver did not cheat on his girlfriend of ten years then he would not have been drinking. And nobody would have died that day.

\----

The first one to fall is Piper.


	2. Who put the Fun in Funeral?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi :)

Things happen for a reason, my mom used to say. She tells me this everytime she remembers Smelly Gabe. I get her, I mean. I lived with that guy.

But the thing is, things do happen for a reason. 

\-----

You remember that story about the man with the shoelace? Well, I have another story.

There was a girl, and she was with a boy. The boy and girl were supposed to leave early to avoid any obstacles that would prevent them from going home, but, these people are not ordinary people. They're childish. And they're demigods. And they fought because of a clunky piece of armor.

Well that aside, back in New Rome, a Son of Ceres was cooking using the wrong pan, because the pan he was supposed to use was borrowed by a certain Daughter of Aphrodite. Then he accidentally burned the food he was cooking for his boyfriend, a Son of Minerva. He also burned his hand, and his apartment is now a symphony of latin curses, pots banging, plates clanging and his cellphone ringing. The son of Ceres picked up the phone, only to find out that his boyfriend will be taking him to a lovely dinner at the Court, a very wonderful restaurant just near the Gardens of Bacchus. 

Due to his lovestruck mind, he quickly ran out of his room.

He forgot to turn off the stove.

Now months before that, said Son of Ceres thought it would be a great idea to place his stove conveniently near the window, 'to keep the smoke from my flat' he reasoned. 

Now take this, if the girl and the boy had not fought over that armor then they would have gotten home early, and the girl would have returned the pan to the son of Ceres, who would not have burned the dinner, and he would've been able to turn off the stove once he was done cooking. Then he and his boyfriend would have had a lovely dinner, and the girl and the boy would have had a peaceful night.

But that didn't happen.

\----

For once in her life, Piper McLean was getting a decent night's sleep. Really, I bet she had her hair set because she and Leo would have to attend a gala tomorrow, then she had her make-up and clothes packed, right alongside her dagger. Then she would've put on her favorite black pyjamas, the ones Reyna gave to her as a 'sorry-i-gave-you-so-many-glares-before' gift.

For once in her life, Piper McLean was getting a decent night's sleep.

Until she wasn't.

Really, I'm gonna bet $200 that she would've survived if Leo was there. But Leo had to visit his friends, the Sons of Vulcan. Maybe even have a beer of three.

So Leo wasn't there.

It's unfair. Piper didn't even get the chance to run or call for help. She crumbled underneath a fallen piece of burning wood, and the fire was ten freaking floors from her apartment. Ten freaking floors, and the cause of fire was a stove that was left open, by the Son of Ceres who burnt his dinner and instead went out to meet his boyfriend for a night in the Court.

It was a sad night for New Rome.

And miles and miles away, a Daughter of Pluto and a Son of Hades woke up screaming.

\----

Whoever decided to put the word Fun in Funeral is a total schist. A dam asshole.

Piper's funeral was visited by hundreds of demigods. And for the first time, the Aphrodite cabin is wearing plain black clothes. No make-up in sight. Even Drew Tanaka was heaving and sobbing uncontrollably. 

I find it hard to believe that sweet, beautiful and strong Piper is dead, gone. No more. There is no more Piper McLean to slap some sense into me. There is no more Piper McLean to barge into her siblings cabin yelling about the latest issue around camp. There is no more Piper McLean who will use her favorite black pyjamas. No more Piper McLean attending the gala. 

No more Piper McLean.

Nico and Hazel were off in a corner, huddled together. The loss of a demigod, who is also a sibling, a child, will always rattle the children of the underworld. Death is their area. They can sense death. They can feel Piper's soul entering Elysium. They can feel it. And it must hurt, because it has to hurt.

Seeing Aphrodite all messed up is unusual. Gone is her impeccable outfit and immaculate hair. Gone is her cheerful smile and happy face. Gone, also, her favorite child.

During the war, Aphrodite was the most worried of them all. She was afraid, she has always been afraid. Her children are the ones who are always under scrutiny. You can't fight, you only care about love, you are useless. Her children will always hear those insults. But Piper, Piper proved everyone wrong. Piper showed everyone that her siblings, that her cabin is as useful and as powerful as everyone else.

I sit here, with my red rimmed eyes, clutching a sobbing Annabeth. Beside me is a sobbing Jason clutching a sobbing Leo Valdez. It wasn't a great feeling, hearing only a cacophony of sobs and smelling the despair in the air.

As Aphrodite lights up her daughter's shroud, she hugs her children close, and I come to a conclusion.

Death, no matter who's, will always leave you rattled. Death will leave a permanent scar, and a permanent mark on our lives. Piper is gone, but Piper's things left in ber cabin will forever remain in a standstill. Stuck in time, waiting for an owner who will never return.

\------

Imagine this. You wake up feeling so happy, so light and refreshed.

You head downstairs, fetched yourself a nice cup of coffee, treated yourself to a nice bath and you finally got to open and use that nice smelling shampoo your mother sent from France.

After that you cook up a great breakfast. Then you dress up on your favorite clothes and wear your favorite heels.

You run outside and saw a taxi right there. So you went in. Asked the driver to turn the radio on.

It was a great day.

But then the radio announced that a little boy's body was found on a river. The boy is only five years old, and he has been missing since three weeks ago.

Then, in that instance, your mood deflates, your happy existence dwindles down into a tragic one. Tears spring to your eyes as you hear the watery voice of the mother who will never see his son graduate preschool. Who will neer see his son enter middle school, get a job, get a wife. Tears finally fall as you realize that this mother just lost a future. And so did the child.

See, death, no matter who's. It affects us all. 

\----

The second to fall is Frank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My work isn't beta'd by the way. So,,, also please tell me if you spot any grammar mistakes. English isn't my first language. Please enjoy this fic :) Constructive criticism is accepted. If you want, you can come and find me at @erlkxaviers on twitter. Please approach me if you have any questions. :)

**Author's Note:**

> please dont hate me


End file.
